Texas state troopers get salary hike in new budget

Published 11:31 am, Monday, June 3, 2013

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Thousands of Texas Department of Public Safety troopers can expect an average 20-percent raise once Gov. Rick Perry signs a two-year budget.

The Austin American-Statesman reports (http://bit.ly/11gQAy5) that the raise will benefit about 4,400 law-enforcement officers, at a cost of about $100 million. Lawmakers approved the salary hike in the budget after the state auditor found that DPS officers were earning significantly less than officers working in major Texas cities.

Currently, a 20-year DPS officer can earn up to $61,793 annually. Under the new budget, the same trooper's salary would go up to $76,000 by 2015 — or $89,000 with up to 20 hours a month of overtime pay — making it the largest pay raise in the history of DPS.

DPS has several hundred positions left empty, with many pointing to the low salary as a reason, according to the newspaper. The state auditor has repeatedly recommended such raises in the past to help retain officers.

"The first three or four years, we're losing people," said Senate Finance Chairman Tommy Williams, who helped pass the budget. "The key is to slow the flow out the front door."

The hikes will take effect Sept. 1, unless Gov. Rick Perry vetoes the budget. He has until June 17 to do so.

The DPS has more than 70 employees who are earning about $100,000 a year, but the budget is expected to help close the pay gap between officers and high-level officials at the agency.

DPS officers say they welcome the raise.

"We're very grateful," said Sgt. Gary Chandler of Columbus, head of the Texas Department of Public Safety Officers Association, which lobbied for the salary increase. "This will get us in the mid-range of what cities are paying."